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8oz Single WallSimple PrintCoffee Cup and Lid Rules by State
Which cups and lids each Australian state and territory allows, where used cups go, and which of our lids you can use where. Every rule links to its official source, with the date we last checked it.
- From 250 units Simple or full colour print
- Australian made Everything we print
- Instant online pricing Unit prices shown ex GST
- Compostable and home compostable AS4736 and AS5810 linings
Two states, South Australia and Western Australia, ban plastic-lined cups and plastic lids outright. Everywhere else the rules that matter most are about bins, and those often come down to your council. Researched 28 October 2026 and re-checked 6 November 2026. Rules change, so check your council's bin guide before you rely on this.
AT A GLANCE
Supply bans and bins, state by state
Checked 6 November 2026.
| State or territory | Supply rules for cups and lids | Where used compostable cups go | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | Expanded polystyrene (foam) cups banned since 1 November 2022. Other cups aren't banned. | Not in FOGO or business food-waste bins, including home compostable (AS5810) items. General waste. | NSW EPA |
| Victoria | Foam cups and their lids are banned. Paper cups aren't on the banned list. | State guidance keeps compostable cups out of FOGO bins. General waste. A statewide bin standard is due from 1 July 2027. | EPA Victoria; Sustainability Victoria; Victorian Government |
| Queensland | Foam takeaway cups and food containers are banned. Paper coffee cups and lids aren't on the list. | Depends on your council. City of Moreton Bay, for example, doesn't take them in its organics bin. | Queensland Government; City of Moreton Bay |
| South Australia | PE-lined cups and plastic lids banned since 1 September 2024 unless certified AS4736 or AS5810. Compostable marking required on each cup and lid since 1 March 2026. | Green organics bin where your council's green bin takes food scraps. Otherwise general waste. | Replace the Waste SA; Green Industries SA |
| Western Australia | Plastic-lined cups and plastic lids banned since 1 March 2024. Cups must be certified compostable paperboard; lids must be uncoated all-fibre. | General waste. Since July 2026, FOGO bins take food, garden organics and certified caddy liners only. AS5810 items can go in a home compost. | WA Government; Waste Authority WA |
| Tasmania | No statewide ban in force. Hot and cold cups and lids are being considered for a statewide phase-out. | Depends on your council. City of Hobart's FOGO bin takes certified compostable cups; the Rethink Waste Tasmania A–Z lists them as landfill. | Tasmanian Government (NRE); City of Hobart; Rethink Waste Tasmania |
| Australian Capital Territory | Foam takeaway food and drink containers banned. Coffee cups and lids aren't on the list. | Not in FOGO, garden or yellow-lid bins. Landfill bin. AS5810 cups can be home composted. | ACT City Services |
| Northern Territory | No territory ban on coffee cups found. City of Darwin has phased out single-use cups and lids on council land since 1 January 2019. | City of Darwin: compost at home or the red general waste bin. | City of Darwin |
Plastic (PE) lined cups go in the general waste bin in every state and territory. Sources are linked below.
Sources. NSW: NSW EPA, FOGO bins and NSW EPA, plastics bans. VIC: EPA Victoria, single-use plastics, Sustainability Victoria and the Victorian Government draft bin standard. QLD: Queensland Government, banned items and City of Moreton Bay (council example). SA: guide to the cup and lid ban, labelling guide and Green Industries SA, Which Bin. WA: coffee cups fact sheet, cup lids fact sheet and Waste Authority WA. TAS: Tasmanian Government, single-use plastics, City of Hobart and Rethink Waste Tasmania A–Z. ACT: ACT City Services, coffee cups and single-use plastics. NT: City of Darwin, A–Z guide and Plastic Wise (council examples).
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
SA's compostable marking rule
Since 1 March 2026, every certified compostable cup and lid supplied in South Australia must be clearly marked as home compostable, industrially compostable, or both. Items certified to AS4736 can say commercially compostable instead. The marking has to be on each cup and lid: marking only the carton doesn't count. Cups under 60 mL and lids under 70 mm across don't need the marking, but they still have to be certified (SA labelling guide).
For SA orders, we add the marking to your cup artwork, to match your cup's certification.
LIDS
Which lid for which state
We print the cups; lids are plain and come in three types.
| Lid | Where we supply it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| PS (polystyrene) lids | Every state and territory except SA and WA | SA and WA ban plastic lids. |
| Pulp (moulded fibre) lids | Every state and territory (for WA, ask us first) | Certified to AS4736 and AS5810. WA allows only uncoated all-fibre lids. |
| PLA lids, certified AS4736 | Every state and territory except WA | SA allows lids certified to AS4736 or AS5810. WA bans bioplastic lids, including certified compostable ones. |
Pulp lids come in 80 mm (6oz and 8oz cups) and 90 mm (12oz to 24oz cups).
We don't supply PE-lined cups or plastic lids into South Australia or Western Australia. SA orders get compostable cups (AS4736 by default, or AS5810 on request) with pulp or PLA lids. WA orders get compostable cups. Ask us about lids for WA, because WA allows only uncoated all-fibre lids. That includes ice cream cups, which are supplied without lids.
STANDARDS
What AS4736 and AS5810 mean
- AS4736 CompostablePLA lining, commercial or industrial composting
- AS5810 Home compostableAqueous lining, home composting
AS4736 and AS5810 are Australian Standards for compostable materials. The Australasian Bioplastics Association verifies products against them and describes AS4736 as industrial compostable and AS5810 as home compostable. Products it verifies to AS4736 can carry its seedling logo, and products verified to AS5810 can carry its home composting logo.
In plain terms: an AS4736 item needs a commercial composting facility that accepts it. An AS5810 item can go in a home compost. The ACT puts it simply: AS5810 cups can be home composted and AS4736 cups can't (ACT City Services). Neither standard decides which kerbside bin a cup goes in. Your state and council decide that.
Our compostable cups have a PLA lining certified to AS4736, and that's what you get when you order compostable. Home compostable cups have an aqueous lining certified to AS5810, on request with Simple Print and Wholesale Print. Our materials and certifications guide explains each lining.
BEFORE YOU ORDER
Rules change, so check your council
We first researched these rules on 28 October 2026 and checked the official pages again on 6 November 2026. Several council pages show no update date, Victoria's bin standard is still a draft, and Tasmania is working on a phase-out of single-use cups and lids. Before you choose a cup, check your council's bin guide. For a venue or event, ask your waste contractor what it accepts.
Our sustainability guide shows which products come in each lining, and our materials guide explains PE, PLA and aqueous linings.
Got questions?
Cup rules FAQs
Can I order PE-lined cups for South Australia or Western Australia?
No. Both states ban plastic-lined cups and plastic lids, and we don't supply PE-lined cups or plastic lids into SA or WA.
Which lid can I use in Western Australia?
Only uncoated all-fibre lids, so PS lids and PLA lids can't be supplied there. Ask us before you order and we'll confirm which of our lids suits WA.
Can compostable cups go in the FOGO or green bin?
Only in some places. South Australia's guidance sends certified compostable cups to the green organics bin where the council's green bin takes food scraps, and City of Hobart's FOGO bin takes them. NSW, Victoria, WA and the ACT send them to general waste. In Queensland, Tasmania and the NT it depends on your council.
Which compostable cup do I get if I just order compostable?
AS4736, with a PLA lining. If you want AS5810 home compostable cups, ask us. They come with Simple Print and Wholesale Print, not Full Colour Print.
Keep exploring
Related guides and products
12oz Single WallFull Colour PrintGuide
Sustainability
Our PE, compostable and home compostable options, product by product.
8oz (90 mm), 12oz & 16ozWholesale PrintGuide
Cup Materials and Certifications
PE, PLA and aqueous linings, and what AS4736 and AS5810 mean.
8oz Single WallFull Colour PrintGuide
Delivery Australia-wide
Transit times for every state and how timing works.
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Custom Coffee Cups - Compostable
Compostable (AS4736) and home compostable (AS5810) printed coffee cups.
Need cups that suit your state?
See prices for compostable coffee cups instantly, from 250 cups, or ask us which cup and lid fit your state's rules.
